Perspective
by Lukeprism
Summary: Link finds himself becoming oddly familiar with a certain Wind Sage and his past. — Wind Waker, AU-ish.


―**s―t―a―r―t―f―i―c―t―i―o―n―**

As he slowly trekked his way up the island, through the blustering winds and the constant stream of blades of grass smacking him in the face, Link decided that the iron boots he'd found at Ice Ring Isle were a mixed blessing.

Finally approaching the cause of his discomfort, the strange squid-shaped stone that for whatever reason blew hurricane-worthy gusts of air at him, he noticed the none-too-subtle crack on its head and knew exactly what was required of him. Reaching into his tunic's back pocket, he retrieved his hefty Skull Hammer and gave the stone as hard of a smash as he could muster. The stone crumbled beneath the fatal blow.

The wind suddenly stopped, and the trees behind him straightened up once more as if they hadn't been bent at extreme angles for who knew how long. Link was just happy with being able to slip out of those heavy iron boots, relishing the comparative softness of his everyday leather pair. Once he'd put his equipment away, he marched right into the exposed cave, determined yet attentive; knowing his luck, there would be monsters.

The boy was pleasantly surprised when there weren't any present—just a huge slab of rock and a couple of lit torches flanking it, illuminating the entirety of the room. The smell was a bit off-putting, but Link had definitely been through worse before, so he paid it little mind.

Instead, he padded up to said rock slab, made from a pretty white stone rather than the drab brown of the surrounding walls. His expression was painted with awe as he ran a hand along its smooth surface. There were no cracks on it, and even if there were Link would have been hesitant to smack it with his hammer; there were beautiful designs and multiple paragraphs of a language he didn't understand...ancient Hylian, perhaps. But that which caught the blonde's attention the most was the bottom of the stone's face, which depicted a six-note melody—probably for his Wind Waker.

So he pulled out the baton and emulated the movements shown to him by the rock, tapping his foot like a metronome to keep time. Beautiful, choir-like voices filled his head the second time through, like they usually did when he conducted a song of importance. Link wasn't exactly sure of if they were only in his head or not, but decided not to go through such lengths to question his sanity and just enjoy the music for what it was.

This time was different, though, for when the song was over and he had a sudden revelation of what its name was (the Wind God's Aria), there was a sudden gust of wind that seemed to come from everywhere at once; nothing strong enough to knock him off his feet, but movement nonetheless. Startled, the boy made to turn around, but was momentarily blinded by a pillar of light that had appeared in the middle of the cavern. Holding a protective arm in front of his face, Link squinted until the intense shine had subsided. His eyes widened when he caught sight of what the light had left behind.

Standing there a mere meter in front of him was a boy who looked to be about Link's age, clothed in a tunic just as green as his was. But this boy's hair was more of a honey color, his hat and shoes were pointed at their tips, and he held an instrument of some kind, one that looked familiar. His face was rounded akin to Link's own, but his eyes were very narrow in comparison, to the point that they looked like they were closed. He wore a smile that encompassed ten lives' worth of knowledge and wisdom, and then some, though it still managed to appear youthful and rather playful. The only unnerving thing about him was the fact that his body was partially transparent. It occurred to Link that this person was from a different time before he had a chance to speak.

And when he did, Link was taken aback for a moment. "Are you the new hero?"

His voice had been a bit deeper than expected, but that wasn't what confused Link. How had he come to the conclusion that Link was a hero? Though, if he was from a different time, presumably the past, it was possible that he also knew the legends of the Hero to Time, assuming from his outfit that he was the 'new hero.' Sure, that was what Link was ultimately hoping to become...

The boy in front of him did not wait for his answer, instead holding his arms out a bit. "I am Fado of the Kokiri tribe. I know I appear to you as a child, but looks can oft deceive. I am a most esteemed sage."

Link blinked. Truthfully, he had suspected something of the sort after encountering Laruto, and as such wasn't terribly surprised.

Fado continued unbidden. "I had been praying here so that the power to repel evil would continue to be contained in the blade of the Master Sword..." he trailed off for a moment, smile falling by a few fractions. "But I was attacked by the evil Ganondorf...and this is what happened to me."

Link couldn't help but bristle at the mention of the vile Gerudo's name. This sage was just one more person he would be avenging in his quest...but before that, Link would need his sword's power fully restored. So he stifled his ire and listened on.

Fortunately, his issue was addressed quickly. "You wish to return the power to your blade, don't you?" Fado asked, smile still present on his features.

Link was a bit put off by this—did he think this was a joke?—but nodded his head once, resolutely, in the affirmative. That was the only way to defeat Ganondorf once and for all.

Fado's smile widened a bit. "In that case, look for the one who has the same instrument I hold, and teach him the song you just played." He held out said instrument, a green violin-like object. Link suddenly remembered why it had seemed so familiar before; the little Korok from the Forest Haven, Makar, had played one just like it for him in the ceremony during which he'd obtained Farore's Pearl. "Once you do, I'm certain the holder of the instrument will feel the blood of the sages awaken in his veins."

After a moment of silence, Fado's eyes shifted down to where Link's hand still held the Wind Waker beside himself. "That Wind Waker you hold was used long ago to conduct us sages when we played our song to call upon the gods. In those days, it was always the King who conducted for us..." An almost wistful look worked its way into his expression before he shook his head slightly and reverted back to his ever-smiling self. "Please... Tell the King that I will still play...even in the next world!"

As Link went to nod his head and promise to do so, the intense light reappeared. Faster than Link could squint and readjust his eyes, it was gone, taking Fado's image with it. Even so, the blonde nodded. Taking a last look back at the rock that barred his path, he exited the cavern.

The sunlight was harsh on his eyes the moment he stepped out, but the scent of the sea was always welcome after too long a stay in one of those dank, foul-smelling caves. Hopping into the King of Red Lions, Link briefly contemplated his plan. It would of course be much faster to use the Ballad of Gales to warp himself to the Forest Haven, but Cyclos had been on his case with how much he'd been abusing the song recently. So he decided he'd save himself the god's anger and simply adjust the wind via the Wind's Requiem and sail there normally, regardless of the trip's inevitable length.

Hoisting the sail up, Link set off. Other than the occasional Gyorg or Seahat, nothing much happened―admittedly rather boring, but the green-clad boy was just fine with calm seas rather than taxing fights every other moment. It was a break he figured he needed.

With as much time on his hands as he had, Link remembered the promise he'd made to himself back in the cave earlier. Content with cruising rather than full-out sailing, the boy recalled the earlier events to the King of Red Lions, closing with Fado's request. The boat merely chuckled a bit in response. "That is good to hear."

Eventually night fell, and Link felt the effects of not having had a good night's sleep in days all too well. He made to stop at the nearest little island and bid the King of Red Lions a good night before he himself settled as best he could into the boat's interior, using the sail as a blanket and his arm as a pillow. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but tired as Link was, he managed to find sleep relatively easily.

_He found himself looking up at a pedestal, which lay in front of a huge and beautiful shrine which depicted the standard mundane forms of numerous gods and goddesses as well as their titular elements in an ornate display of color and polished white marble. Bundles of what appeared to be offerings to said gods lay strewn about in neat piles. The entire scene was bathed in a soft white light, and Link was hard-pressed to make out anything other than his immediate surroundings. He himself stood on the second step of some very large marble stairs._

Noticing the presence of others, Link looked around himself in an attempt to identify these people, but found that he couldn't; they didn't even appear to be races that he knew of. Each wore clothing that would be considered ancient by Link's standards, but the boy had long since realized that he was in a dream, and an old one at that. There were five others around him, one on each side of him and three down lower in front of him.

Upon closer inspection, though, he managed to pick out Laruto from the group, standing to his left and front, holding her trademark golden harp in her hands as she gazed up at the shrine along with everyone else. From there, Link assumed that everyone present was a sage, as everyone else also had an instrument of some kind. But he noticed something else; he couldn't find Fado. Perhaps this was a time before he had become a sage? And that didn't even touch on the most obvious question of why exactly he was having this dream to begin with.

He wouldn't have much time to focus on this pressing issue, as he noticed movement behind the pedestal before them. Looking up just in time to see whom it was before they spoke, Link was mildly surprised to see King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule standing before himself and the sages, holding the Wind Waker in his right hand quite regally.

"Good morrow, my friends," he greeted them all, deep voice booming through the room easily. "It is once again that time, to perform in the presence of our most treasured and admired gods. Are all of the sages adequately prepared?"

_No one answered verbally, instead opting to stare unwaveringly up at the King in response. Momentarily Link wondered if the King could see him, and went to wave one of his hands to test this theory, but found that he couldn't move. A smile worked its way to Daphnes' face. "Excellent. At the ready, if you will. We shall begin with the Ballad of the Gods." And it was then that Link found his hands moving of their own accord, holding a green, violin-like instrument to his chin and raising a stick in his right hand..._

He had worked out what exactly was happening before he began to play. He wasn't actually himself right then at all; rather, he was looking at all this from Fado's point of view. As Fado began, Link was taken aback by just how beautiful the instrument sounded, and by Fado's obvious finesse. The notes flowed into one another like waves consistently lapping at the beach; it may have sounded weird, but that was the only way Link could even hope to describe it.

And then the other instruments joined in on the fun; a flute from the sage on Fado's left, a drum from the sage in front of him, and of course Laruto's gentle harp. All the drastically different sounds managed to come together into something that was truly awe-inspiring. Link found himself getting lost in the music.

With a quick glance back up to the King, Link saw just how rewarding it must have felt to be able to conduct such an elegant song. He looked lost himself, thought his eyes were open and his arm moved both confidently and fluidly, resulting in the look of a true maestro. Link was sure he didn't look near as accomplished when he conducted a simple Song of Passing.

As they all seemed to raise their heads along with the music as it reached a particularly striking crescendo, Link's vision began to blur...

Slowly Link's eyes opened, and blearily he realized that he was back in the King of Red Lions again and no longer dreaming of events long past. He looked up at the sky and realized that it was still the middle of the night. Sighing, he willed himself to sleep once more, and thanks to his comfortable position he was able to do so.

_This time, he was sitting on the ground in a dark room, lit by only one small torch off to the side. Blinking, the blonde noticed someone sitting in front of him―facing him, in fact, with a familiar smile._

"Fado?" Link asked, voice soft.

The Wind Sage nodded his head. "The one and only."

Deciding that was a rather silly question, Link settled for running a hand through his hair, momentarily taking off his hat. "This is a little...weird," he finally spoke again after a nascent pause. "Normally I dream about Outset, or Ganondorf." Fado cocked his head to one side, imploring that he elaborate. "Instead, I just had a dream where I was you, and you and the other sages were being conducted by the King of Red...I mean, the King of Hyrule."

"Ah," Fado responded, smiling much like he always did. "Those were quite fond days. I enjoyed playing under King Daphnes." He became a little more pensive here. "But I am curious as to why you would have such dreams about myself and those times."

Link nodded vigorously. "Yeah, me too. I didn't have any dreams about Laruto, but she was in the same _one you were in."_

At the mention of the Earth Sage, Fado smiled once more. "Oh, Laruto. She was quite the accomplished harpist; I was honored to play beside her. You have already awakened the current Earth Sage, then?" Link nodded his head in response. "I see. Your sword is almost ready, then!" He chuckled a bit. "I look forward to offering my prayers to the gods once more, with the help of the current Wind Sage." His usually cheerful expression darkened considerably. "Perhaps then the evil Ganondorf will be vanquished for all time."

Link was a bit taken aback by Fado's sudden change in demeanor, but nodded his head. "I...I'll do my best."

Noting the boy's hesitance, the sage put his metaphoric happy mask on once more. "Of course. I have every faith that you shall be successful, young hero."

Being called such by the Wind Sage was enough to redden Link's cheeks in gratitude and a bit of embarrassment. He was able to regain his composure, though, and when he did he asked another question. "It really is weird, though. This doesn't feel like a dream at all... It's more like we're actually talking, just like we were at the Isle of Gales. How is that possible?"

Fado merely shrugged his shoulders, sitting up a bit. "I am not entirely sure myself. Though it is possible that this is what the gods desire. Admittedly, I become a bit lonely at times as a wandering spirit." He laughed.

Link was a bit curious at this. "Wandering spirit?"

Fado nodded. "Yes. Because of what happened to me, I am not yet ready to rest in peace, so to speak." He paused for a moment. "Until Ganondorf is taken care of, I shall remain in the place between here and the afterlife, watching and waiting."

"...I see." Link was feeling sympathetic towards the sage sitting in front of him. Though he didn't know what exactly had happened to him, nor did he plan to for fear of being extremely rude, he couldn't even imagine being dead and yet so determined to see another pass before you. He suddenly saw Fado in a new light; a vengeful spirit unable to rest because of regrets remaining from its time on Earth.

As if sensing his thoughts, Fado waved a nonchalant hand at him, dismissing the semi-awkward silence in the air. "Even so, it is nothing that I am not prepared to handle. I have been in this state for a relatively short time compared to the length of my life here on the Earth. I can wait as long as I need to." His smile was meant to reassure.

Link returned the expression. "If you say so."

And then there was the King of Red Lions above him, rocking him awake rather pointedly. "It has been daylight for quite a while now, Link," he chided flatly as the boy rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up to face the rising sun. "I allowed you to sleep a bit longer than usual because you seem rather tired as of late, but we must not waste any more time!"

Hurrying to hoist the sail and set their course once more, Link just nodded at the wooden lion head in agreement. He was right, of course; the Master Sword needed it's power back at once so he could get back at Ganondorf for what he had done to generations of innocent people. So off they went for the Forest Haven—to locate Makar and awaken him.

All the time he spent readying the King of Red Lions for their departure from Volcano Rock, he regarded his dreams from the night before quite curiously. The fact that he could converse with the deceased sage in such a manner was weird, to be sure. Perhaps it was all in his head, but it had seemed so real...

The sea was quite calm that day, as well. He had passed by two floating platforms occupied by some of Ganondorf's minions, but had decided to let them be for the time being; he had more trying things to be worried about. There was a point where the sky turned dark and it began to pour, but the waves remained manageable and the worst thing that happened to the blonde was the soaking of his clothes.

He had noticed, according to Tingle's handy IN-credible Chart, that one of the Triforce charts was at Bird's Rock Peak, which was only a little ways off from his ultimate destination. As a result, he'd altered their course slightly to accommodate. Unfortunately, they were unable to make it there before nightfall. Though he had pulled all-night stints multiple times before, he knew there would be a trial awaiting him on the island. He would much rather be safe than sorry, and that was something even the King of Red Lions couldn't argue with.

As they bid each other a good night, Link wondered absent-mindedly if he'd have more Fado-centered dreams that night as he drifted off to sleep inside the king's wooden body, cradled by the sea's gentle movements.

_He found himself facing another altar of sorts, though this one was decidedly natural; tree branches and vines of different sorts intertwined in an intricate kind of design, flowers grew in immeasurable numbers, beautiful balls of light flitted from place to place almost impatiently, and the entire room was a lush green color. Creatures of all kinds had congregated here—a few imps, monkeys, some moving plants that appeared to be tame Deku Babas, birds, benevolent insects, all gathered around the biggest of the trees included in the altar._

It was easy to see why they stood around like that, so tolerant of one another. A beautiful, familiar song pierced the otherwise-silent air as Fado played his sacred instrument, his movements elegant and efficient. Link recognized this tune immediately as the Wind God's Aria, and as such made a connection of sorts; this must have been the temple which Fado was responsible for. It certainly was pretty and lively... Truly quite a shame, then, that Ganondorf's monsters would have overrun it by now, in Link's time.

After a few minutes of the melody permeating the ears of every being present, Link included, Fado finally concluded his session of orison. The shrine in front of them shone for a moment with an ethereal light before it expanded and engulfed not just that room but the entirety of the temple; a sure sign that the Wind Sage's prayers had been heard. Satisfied, Fado let his arms drop to his side with the smallest of sighs.

Link watched on in awe as Fado went on to traverse many more rooms, taking his time and apparently examining each for something Link wasn't sure of. It was fortunate that there weren't any malevolent beings hiding away, for Fado didn't seem to have any way of protecting himself. He was obviously quite devoted to his duty.

_Eventually Fado's curiosity was appeased, and he leaned up against a tree in a room which had a sparkling pond in it. Deeming it okay to relax for the moment, __Fado's head drooped and __Link's vision went dark...  
_  
Link had to adjust his eyes a bit, though it was still rather dark out. Standing up to give his body a good stretch, he noted that the sun was just beginning to rise in the east, and that an attempt to sleep anymore at that moment would have been kind of silly. Though he was a bit disappointed that he'd not gotten another opportunity to speak directly with the Wind Sage, he still appreciated the bit of Fado's past he'd managed to peek at.

When the King of Red Lions regained consciousness (Link didn't know how else to describe it) a few moments later, they each greeted the other with a courteous "good morning," and set about getting on their way. As Link had a bit of a head start this time around, the duo managed to reach their destination by midday.

On the island, Link was a bit confused as to what exactly he was to do at first; there was a peculiar hole, yes, but an iron gate barred his path and there seemed to be no switch available for him to hit or press, despite his exploration of the little island. When he whipped out his little sister's telescope, however, he saw a small switch in the distance, atop the highest peak and surrounded by birds. Needless to say, it took Link several Hyoi Pears and a few hours to manage to successfully hit it.

Triforce chart in hand, Link was back up on the surface only to find the daylight nearly gone once more. Though Forest Haven was close, it would still take a few hours to get there, and Link was not fond of the idea of facing the potential dangers whilst both tired and nearly unable to see.

The sun had set completely in due time. Though he was adequately tired, the blonde had trouble falling asleep that night. He tossed and turned several times before eventually his sensed dulled.

_Link was taken aback when he was suddenly flung into a scene of utter chaos; trees and walls flew past him as he ran, heart beating and head pounding. He was in the same temple he'd seen the night before, but it was darker, more sinister and less lively—something was gravely wrong._

Link realized what exactly when Fado slowed to catch his breath for a moment. Behind him there were the grunts and yells of monsters; Bokoblins and Moblins and Darknuts alike. It was also rather warm, and more startling than the fact that Link could feel the heat through Fado's body was the fact that the temple had been set on fire_. The servants of evil approached none too quietly, ravaging everything in their path as they did so._

They had him surrounded from behind. They were herding him in.

Quickly Fado set off again, using his size to his advantage as he ducked through many overgrown curtains of plants and trees, desperate to out-run his pursues. He jumped and fell back for a moment when the once-tame Deku Babas gnashed their jaws menacingly at the Kokiri, pushing forward as he heard the rip and tear of swords through forestry behind him. Link felt every ounce of fear and panic that coursed through Fado's veins, and wished desperately to be able to aid him, though even if he had been able to, he'd have been outnumbered quite severely.

Managing to reach a door, Fado all but leaped through and shut it back behind him as he secured it as best he could with the wooden lock-like structure. When he turned around, Link found that they were in _the heart of the temple once more, in the room with the shrine._

As the boy's hopes plummeted—it was only a matter of time before Fado would be ambushed now—the Wind Sage was surprisingly composed, considering his situation. Pulling out his violin, Fado began to play to the Wind God, his hands shaking despite himself. The harsh banging and clanging on the door was drowned out by the song's volume, and as he went on, Fado's movements became more relaxed and confident. It seemed he would carry out his given duty until the very end; Link couldn't respect him enough for this.

Though Link silently pleaded for some kind of divine intervention to come and save Fado, he already knew deep down how this particular scene would end—terribly. And when the door was unable to hold up against Ganondorf's minions any longer, Fado continued to play until the melody's true end. As Darknuts and Moblins surrounded him, he turned to face them squarely, accepting his fate.

As the blades came down upon him, Link woke up screaming.

Sitting bolt upright, the blonde discovered he was nearly bathed in a cold sweat. So that was how it had happened. He had just borne witness to the Wind Sage's death. Exhaling shakily, he decided he'd had enough of these Fado-centric dreams.

Convincing the King of Red Lions that he was alright took a surprising amount of effort, but eventually he was granted silence once more. Of course, if he'd thought he'd had trouble finding sleep before, his state now didn't even compare. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of that dream, or something similar. But perhaps now that that was done, there would be no more weird visions? This thought liberated him as Link tentatively close his eyes once more, willing himself to ignore the ugly memory of his latest dream.

_"You look rather pale," the familiar spirit in front of him observed, his smile falling a bit as a result. "Are you alright?"_

Link started a bit, staring with wide eyes at he whom he'd just witnessed die. He found he was now weary of him for that very reason, though that was silly in and of itself. The blonde didn't want to be rude, however. "Oh, I...I'm fine," he replied, pulling his legs into a criss-crossed position.

Fado was not fooled, obviously not buying it. "Your demeanor tells me otherwise. Come now, you may share your troubles with me. There must be some reason you've been granted access to the spiritual plane, correct?"

Link supposed he had a point. Then again, it was just odd. Hadn't his dreams as of late been a kind of invasion of privacy? Maybe Fado didn't particularly want him to have seen his murder.

The Wind Sage spoke up again when he figured Link wasn't going to answer. "Perhaps it had something to do with another strange dream?"

Link had a quick internal debate before he decided to nod. There was no reason in lying to him.

Fado's smile widened knowingly. "My gut instincts are seldom mistaken."

It took a minute for Link to realize that Fado was waiting for him to elaborate. "I saw the temple," he _ended up saying a bit lamely. "It was really pretty."_

The Kokiri ahh_'d in understanding. "Yes. It was beautiful. So many creatures living in harmony..." he trailed off, eyes closing in reminiscence. "Of course," he then began, face falling into neutrality, "that was before Ganondorf's furor."_

Link swallowed almost audibly. He had an idea of what was going through Fado's mind right about then. "I...I saw that too," the boy admitted, feeling it necessary to empathize. "It was horrible..." He couldn't put into words how awful it had been, but he knew that Fado knew.

Fado's eyes opened, but he didn't look terribly surprised. "My last memories of this world were those of pain and destruction," he confided, seemingly undisturbed by Link's knowledge. "I do not want the same to be true for you and your people."

Link blinked a few times. "O-of course! We're just outside of the Forest Haven." Catching on to the fact that Fado had no idea what this meant, he went on. "I will have awakened the next sage by tomorrow, for sure."

The Wind Sage smiled a bit. "Oh, that is not a worry of mine. I am confident in your ability. I just fear for how much of the world shall be ravaged before Ganondorf's inevitable demise."

"Mm." Link had to admit he had a point. What if he wasn't getting this done fast enough? Though the King of Red Lions had said something about the number of monsters outside the temples being strangely low recently...

"After the Master Sword's power is restored, you must acquire the Triforce of Courage," Fado continued, his slight smile continuing to grace his features. "No doubt King Daphnes has informed you of this. Have you found any clues as to its whereabouts?"

Link nodded his head on all accounts. "Ah! Yes. I have two sea charts that should tell me the location of some of the pieces," he informed, scratching the back of his head. "The only problem is that they're in a language I don't understand. I'll need to ask Tingle to take a look at them for me."

The Kokiri nodded. "I see, I see. I only wish that I could be of some kind of help," he lamented, leaning back a bit to look at nothing.

Link leaned forward. "You are helping!" the boy assured. "You told me who to awaken. You're giving me advice. You've given me another thing to fight for."

Fado chuckled rather humorlessly. "A_s a__ martyr of sorts?"_

Link had realized his error as Fado had replied, and instantly hung his head in embarrassment. "Th-that's not what I meant..."

"But it is." He then took it upon himself to stand up, which was more of an act of floating up into the air than anything else. "And that's not a bad thing. In fact, please." He looked down at Link with an intense stare. "I implore you to fight for us, for those of us who've died or been affected in any malevolent way by Ganondorf's fell actions."

_The blonde met his gaze, and felt the sincerity behind his words; the seriousness, the pain, the faith. "I do," he breathed in response, meaning it; he had fought for them since the very beginning, since he'd set out to save his sister._

Fado smiled brightly. "Good. We are counting on you."

When he opened his eyes that time around, he felt empowered more than anything else.

They arrived at Forest Haven within the morning. Having found Makar's little hideout behind the waterfall with the help of his blaringly loud music, he wasted little time in conducting for him just like he had Medli, somewhat flattered by the Korok's comment about him being quite the maestro.

As was customary, Link had closed his eyes to conduct, letting the music wash over him in the way that it usually did. He was unable to keep from noticing the similarity of Makar's style of play to Fado's, which was rather understandable; the two played on identical instruments, after all.

Upon reopening his eyes, however, he was almost shocked enough to drop his Wind Waker when he saw the form of the Wind Sage in Makar's place, playing along to the song just as he had before in the blonde's dreams. Rather than question this phenomena (this was becoming the norm for the poor hero), he continued to guide the melody with his magical baton, feeling strangely at peace in that moment.

When the song had come to a close, Fado's form disappeared, leaving behind an oblivious yet grateful Makar. "Oh, great swordsman!" he cried, bouncing up and down. "Thanks to you, I've awakened as the next Wind Sage. Please, you must take me to the temple so I may resume the prayers and restore power to your Master Sword!"

Link, though somewhat sad to see Fado leave without a word, nodded resolutely.

And so they were off. Link decided that it'd been long enough since his last warp to use the Ballad of Gales, and ended up just south of Windfall Island, from where they sailed to the north. As it was just becoming afternoon when they arrived, the blonde was confident that they'd have sufficient time to explore the temple.

Inside, the temple was infested with monsters, dark and withered. As Link slew these evil minions, he couldn't help but be even more angry than normal; he'd seen this temple in its prime and admired its beauty. The thought of all that being tainted by such gross beings was horrid.

Getting around was made a pain for a while, having to keep a close eye on Makar and solve puzzles at the same time. The Korok was even kidnapped at one point by a gang of rogue Floormasters, but with the aid of his newly-found hookshot, Link rescued him with little trouble. From then on it was a simple game of hookshotting to various platforms and conducting the Command Melody to have Makar follow.

Link was unhappy to see himself faced with two Darknuts, as he hated their ineptitude when it came to swordplay, but was rewarded thereafter with a Big Key, something which he'd need sometime soon. After activating the huge fan in the temple's hub room, the duo flew up towards the very top of the dungeon. From there, Link consulted his map to locate the temple's shrine, figuring the boss would be located there.

He was right, as he'd come to find out a while later. When he and Makar had attempted to approach the room's (which had been reduced to a simple sea of sand and Triforce-bearing platform) middle, they'd been cut off by the flow of more sand and appearance of the giant sand worm Molgera. Link, whom had become proficient at the art of fighting bosses, quickly picked out his tongue-like appendage as the weak point and defeated the monster with relative ease.

Ignoring the beast's extravagant and explosive death, the two instead turned their attention to the now-glowing symbol on the platform's base. Both knowing exactly what to do, they played the very song that had carried them through the temple. When Fado appeared this time, Link was both expectant and relieved, for whatever reason. As silly as it seemed, he'd grown rather attached to the Kokiri through the course of the last few days.

As the song threatened to come to a close, however, Link grew hesitant. Once this song was over, Fado's purpose would be served. He'd have no more reason to interact with Link. Wouldn't it, then, be the last time they'd meet?

Link wasn't fond of the notion.

Suddenly anxious, he turned his gaze to look at Fado's ghost, a heaviness settling in his heart that was nowhere to be found whilst dealing with Laruto. Their gazes met, and suddenly Link was reassured. This was what they'd been working for. This was it.

And so, with a final smile and bow, the former Wind Sage's image faded away. Link bid him a silent goodbye.

He grasped his sword with a newfound determination as it buzzed and transformed within his grasp.

He listened on to Makar's farewell with a somber expression.

And as he was lifted up and out of the chamber by the mysterious pillar of light, Link swore to himself he'd win. For his grandmother. For Aryll. For the king. For Zelda. For Laruto.

For Fado.

**―e―n―d―f―i―c―t―i―o―n ―  
**  
_**A/N: The prerequisite oneshot to a series I was thinking **__**of writing, based on the idea of Fado inhabiting Link's sword a la Fi in Skyward Sword**__**. I've been working on this one for a while. Your thoughts and critique would be appreciated. C:**_

Thanks for readin'.  



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